Biomaterial Database

Toxicity of nanoparticulate and bulk ZnO, Al2O3 and TiO2 to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. 2009

Huanhua Wang, and Robert L Wick, and Baoshan Xing

Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.

Limited information is available on the environmental behavior and associated potential risk of manufactured oxide nanoparticles (NPs). In this research, toxicity of nanoparticulate and bulk ZnO, Al(2)O(3) and TiO(2) were examined to the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans with Escherichia coli as a food source. Parallel experiments with dissolved metal ions from NPs were also conducted. The 24-h median lethal concentration (LC(50)) and sublethal endpoints were assessed. Both NPs and their bulk counterparts were toxic, inhibiting growth and especially the reproductive capability of the nematode. The 24-h LC(50) for ZnO NPs (2.3 mg L(-1)) and bulk ZnO was not significantly different, but significantly different between Al(2)O(3) NPs (82 mg L(-1)) and bulk Al(2)O(3) (153 mg L(-1)), and between TiO(2) NPs (80 mg L(-1)) and bulk TiO(2) (136 mg L(-1)). Oxide solubility influenced the toxicity of ZnO and Al(2)O(3) NPs, but nanoparticle-dependent toxicity was indeed observed for the investigated NPs.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007928	Lethal Dose 50	The dose amount of poisonous or toxic substance or dose of ionizing radiation required to kill 50% of the tested population.	LD50,Dose 50, Lethal
D012098	Reproduction	The total process by which organisms produce offspring. (Stedman, 25th ed)	Human Reproductive Index,Human Reproductive Indexes,Reproductive Period,Human Reproductive Indices,Index, Human Reproductive,Indexes, Human Reproductive,Indices, Human Reproductive,Period, Reproductive,Periods, Reproductive,Reproductive Index, Human,Reproductive Indices, Human,Reproductive Periods
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D000537	Aluminum Oxide	An oxide of aluminum, occurring in nature as various minerals such as bauxite, corundum, etc. It is used as an adsorbent, desiccating agent, and catalyst, and in the manufacture of dental cements and refractories.	Alumina,Alumina Ceramic,Aluminum Oxide (Al130O40),Aluminum Oxide (Al2O),Aluminum Oxide (AlO2),Bauxite,Corundum,Sapphire,Ceramic, Alumina,Oxide, Aluminum
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012995	Solubility	The ability of a substance to be dissolved, i.e. to form a solution with another substance. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Solubilities
D014025	Titanium	A dark-gray, metallic element of widespread distribution but occurring in small amounts with atomic number, 22, atomic weight, 47.867 and symbol, Ti; specific gravity, 4.5; used for fixation of fractures.
D014874	Water Pollutants, Chemical	Chemical compounds which pollute the water of rivers, streams, lakes, the sea, reservoirs, or other bodies of water.	Chemical Water Pollutants,Landfill Leachate,Leachate, Landfill,Pollutants, Chemical Water
D015034	Zinc Oxide	A mild astringent and topical protectant with some antiseptic action. It is also used in bandages, pastes, ointments, dental cements, and as a sunblock.	Lassar's Paste,Lassar Paste,Lassars Paste,Oxide, Zinc,Paste, Lassar's
D017173	Caenorhabditis elegans	A species of nematode that is widely used in biological, biochemical, and genetic studies.	Caenorhabditis elegan,elegan, Caenorhabditis